We’ve written before about Boulder’s unique art scene, but until now we have not analyzed the great economic influence the arts have over Boulder County. When you find yourself face-to-face with the local art scene, you begin to realize how vast Boulder’s artistic community really is. For instance, as Boulder-based textile artist Maryanne Quinn is revered by some of the biggest tastemakers in the scene today, Boulder has become an indisputable mecca for artistic expression. This robust local art scene wouldn’t be possible without community support and interest. Thanks to the symbiotic relationship between local artists and the community, a profoundly positive economic upturn has been realized in Boulder County.
According to an Americans for the Arts study, Boulder’s nonprofit arts and culture industry generated $69.79 million in 2015. Total spending by Boulder’s nonprofit arts and culture industry created 1,832 full-time equivalent jobs and generated $47.6 million of resident household income, $2.2 million of local government revenue, and $2.3 million of state revenue. Plainly, art and culture are important to the residents of Boulder not only because of the economic impact, but also because of the ineffaceable importance our community places on creative expression.
However, there are still challenges to overcome. As the Daily Camera reports, “the national nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $166.3 billion in economic activity…and generates $27.5 billion in revenue toward local, state, and federal governments”. These governments (local, state, and federal) in turn only contribute $5 billion per year to the arts.
But there is still good news: in order to make up for the lack of impactful government contribution, 5,087 Boulder residents volunteered across 65 nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in 2015. Converted to real dollars, these local volunteers effectually donated $6.3 million to nonprofit arts and cultural organizations.
The writing on the wall is clear: even though nonprofits and the arts face considerable monetary challenges, the Boulder community is coming together – as communities ought to do more often – to support what makes Boulder so special. With such a dedicated community, the Boulder art scene will persist and thrive, not only because of economic gains, but also because of the devoted residents of Boulder.